The Letter
by xxkatrina
Summary: Kate reads Jack's letter and is shocked to see what he wrote. Based right after ...And Found. Jate [shortONESHOT] Sequel coming soon!


**Author's Note**: I know, I know what you guys are thinking. 'What the hell does she think she's doing? She already has another fic that I am literally DYING to read! Update, update, UPDATE!' Well, yeah, I know, but I've been eager to write this one out for some time now...

**---------------------------  
The Letter**

Kate was waiting for Sun to leave the area. She had still been sobbing happily over finding her wedding ring. Kate was touched by how happy Sun was. She smiled, still waiting. Finally, after moments, Sun stood up and left. Kate sighed, thinking, _Finally..._ She stood up from the rock she was resting on and hurriedly made her way to the bottle on the ground. Funny, it was, that Sun paid no attention to it when she had left.

"Where is it...," Kate muttered, pulling out the notes one by one. Right now, she could even call herself nosy and not feel anything about it. She was looking for Jack's note. Why? Well, she didn't even know. She probably figured that she was just extremely eager to see if...well, anything about her was on it.

"Yes!" she cheered quietly, rolling it open. She began to skim through it. There was a list of people who he had either thanked, said goodbye to, and things like that, and they were all for his friends. She began to read the names in her mind. _Charlie, Claire, Aaron... Walt, Michael... Shannon..._ Then she stopped. There was no Kate on any of the lists. A pang of guilt hit her as if she were punched in the stomach. Why hadn't she been on that list?

"What?" she cried, bewildered. She decided to go and find Jack. She had to know why she wasn't on his list. It was hard to force back tears. She stood up, clutching the note tightly, and began to run.

"Jack!" she called out. She made her way hurriedly to the caves and saw him there in his makeshift doctor area. She stormed up to him, frowning. Startled, he turned around, and once he saw it was Kate, smiled.

"What's up?" he asked casually.

"_'What's up'_?" she asked, shocked. She frowned, and looked at him angrily. Jack, also surprised, frowned with concern.

"Kate, what's wrong? I-" he began.

"No," she said. She rose the note so it was in front of Jack's face. His eyes widened.

"A note," he said. Then, realizing what it was, he said, "MY note. Kate, what are you doing with my note? Those things are personal!"

"Well, I couldn't help but notice that you didn't mention a thing about me," she said, putting her arm at her side. Tears blurred her sight. "Jack, why aren't I on this?" She gestured with the note. "I thought that, you know...we had something, well, special... I don't know. But still, why?"

"Kate-" he began.

"No, I don't want to hear it," Kate said, shaking her head. She tossed the note to the floor, watching it as it slowly floated down. "You're ashamed. That's it, huh? You're ashamed, me being a criminal and all, and I'm not worthy of being your 'friend'."

"No, Kate, seriously, you've got it all wrong," Jack said. "Did you read that label? Those columns were for _'friends'_."

"I know!" Kate cried stubbornly. "Aren't _I_ one?"

"Well, I thought that people would get that bottle and those notes," Jack explained. "So, well, when we get rescued... you know, I thought that... we would be, uh, more than just friends."

"Oh." Kate looked around, embarassed. _Jeez, you're such a fool_, she thought angrily. Stupid_, stupid. Now Jack thinks you're also a fool. Way to go, Kate!_ "Oh." That's all she could say.

"Yeah," Jack said, shrugging, "sorry if I confused you."

"So...you really thought that?" Kate said, a little shocked. She sat down on the makeshift bed quietly, not saying anything. After a moment, Jack sat down beside her. He looked around, thinking of something to say. But, Kate said something before he could get anything out.

"You know, Jack," Kate said. "You've done so much for me...and here I am, judging you for something you didn't even do wrong. I'm sorry." She looked down. "Really, I am. I mean, you really took the pieces of my life and just put them together." She looked at Jack gratefully. "I'd still be one big mess if you weren't here." She sighed. "I don't know what I would've done."

"Well, being the confident person you are, then I don't think there would be any difference if...I were here or not." Jack looked around awkwardly.

"I feel so stupid," Kate muttered, rolling her eyes. She sighed as she said, "You have no idea how stupid I feel..."

"Yeah, well...," Jack said, chuckling. He put a hand on her forearm as he said, "Just promise me one thing, Kate... Don't run away." Kate laughed out loud, and Jack joined in.

"I know, I won't. I swear," Kate said. Then her smile faded faintly as she said, "You know...what I said earlier...not about the note, but about you fixing up my life, Jack... It's true. All of it."

"All one hundred percent of it?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, everything. Why?" Kate swung her legs back and forth.

"'Cause it's not all true," Jack said, looking away again. After Kate didn't say anything, he finally turned to face her.

"...How is it not true?" Kate asked slowly, about to stand up. But she stopped the urge to and listened to Jack. "Because it is. Really."

"No, no," Jack said. "You've got it all wrong. I didn't fix you... You fixed _me_."


End file.
